herbs for grief

I am in serious need of help. My husband passed away three months ago from cancer, and I am not coping at all well. I know that grief is normal and healthy, but it is also preventing me from getting to work in time, cooking, cleaning or doing anything, basically. Will herbs offer any relief?

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grant814171425 over a year ago

I believe that, based on your post, it is not herbs that you want but grief counselling. What you are describing is totally normal after having lost someone. The mourning period can do weird things to you, and of course you need somebody to help you cope! Do you have a support network? Anyone to talk to?

FITNESSHerbs for Heartbreak It’s been a little over a week and you still haven’t slept through the night or eaten a decent meal. That same sad song has been on repeat for days now, becoming the only shoulder you want to lean on as tears fall. Memories of time shared together haunt the hours and fog your thoughts. There seems to be no escape from the heaviness of loss. No way around it, but straight through the ugly shadows of ache without any comfort in sight. Some relationships become so important to the core of our identity and our connection with the divine that our internal world shatters when they end. We are left with pain and longing, confusion and obsession – maybe even the agonizing hope that what’s happening isn’t really happening. Breaking up isn’t an isolated event or an ephemeral experience. It takes a long time to untangle one life from another, and the slow transition alters your course. Becoming separate from your partner can feel like a death, and truth be told, heartbreak is simply grief in disguise: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and with some time, acceptance. Throughout this natural grieving process our stress hormones can increase, causing all sorts of unwanted effects from general despondency to full on panic attacks. We lose the sleep and nourishment we need to heal, leading to emotional exhaustion, muscle tension, and lowered immunity against viruses and infection. “Herbs can help us through the stages of grief by calming nerves, quieting upsetting thoughts, relaxing muscles, stimulating healthy digestion, boosting the immune system, and encouraging deep, restful sleep.” Turning to alcohol or sleeping aids may be a common path for someone during times of heartbreak, but relying on these alone to self-medicate can quickly take a toll on the body and mind. Pushing yourself into patterns of dependency, when self-care is really what’s needed, can invite chronic grogginess, dehydration, emotional numbness, digestive upset, cognitive instability, susceptibility to illness, isolation, more insomnia, and magnified anxiety. Alcohol and pharmaceuticals are strong band-aids that may hide the wound, but they certainly won’t heal it. Fully surrendering to grief and allowing yourself to experience the transformation is essential to finding wholeness again. Thankfully, there are plant allies growing all around us that support our whole being without causing harm. While herbs won’t make the pain or sadness disappear, they will make the grieving process endurable – allowing you to transition to a stronger place, faster and healthier. Herbs can help through the stages of grief by calming nerves, quieting upsetting thoughts, relaxing muscles, stimulating healthy digestion, boosting the immune system, and encouraging deep, restful sleep. They work to strengthen the body’s innate coping abilities and can carry you through the day-to-day with less suffering and fragility. The Many Helpful Herbs… For the herbs below, I like to make tinctures and teas, along with the occasional syrup. These herbs can be combined into a customized formula, or used individually as needed. For tinctures, two to three dropperfuls is usually sufficient. This is a gentle yet effective mode of healing that works with the body, rather than overpowering it. Calming herbs like Skullcap and Valerian should never make you feel drugged, and if they do, take a smaller dose next time. Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) is my favorite calming herb for any stressful situation, but it’s especially helpful for grief. Skullcap stops the cycle of circular thoughts and unshakable emotional tension. Take this plant as a tincture or a tea when you just can’t stop thinking about the breakup and your former love. You will feel the haze of obsession melt away and clarity return, allowing you to focus on work, school , or hobbies that bring you pleasure or much needed catharsis. Skullcap also eases debilitating sadness by softening nervous edginess and relaxing tight muscles. It’s great for headaches that accompany a long cry. The bitter flavor helps encourage hunger and stimulates digestion, which can become sluggish during times of stress. Plus, Skullcap is nutritive to the nervous system and can be taken daily to restore and strengthen your response to stress in the future. This is an herb that everyone should have in their medicine chest. Valerian root (Valeriana officinalis) is a wonderful and potent sedative herb for most people when sleep seems impossible. I like to take 3 to 4 squirts of the tincture on sleepless nights or sip on a cup of Fidnemed Nighttime Tea. Within minutes, I am in a deep sleep and feel well rested the next morning, not dazed or hungover. This herb can be taken along with Skullcap for the added benefit of quieting obsessive thoughts before bed. For some people, however, Valerian can have the opposite effect, causing more anxiety and stimulation. If this happens to you, Valerian is not the right herb to use and Hops or Skullcap alone can be taken instead. Hawthorn berries (Crataegus monogyna ) are recommended by the magnificent herbalist Rosemary Gladstar as an all-purpose tonic for the heart, both physiologically and emotionally. Rosemary says, “Hawthorn helps the heart flower, open, and be healed,” while also gently stimulating or slowing its activity as needed. These berries have a high concentration of antioxidant bioflavonoids and taste nice too. Take as a tincture, tea, syrup, or jam.